In the United States, the college dropout rate is disturbingly high. According to a report from Education Data, “About one-third of students who enter college do not finish”.
Many factors contribute to why students drop out of college. Some students are not prepared academically or financially, while others have family obligations or health problems that interfere with their ability to attend classes and complete assignments.
In some cases, students simply do not have the motivation to continue their education after starting college. We will briefly talk about each reason in our article.
Financial Difficulties
Financial difficulties are often the most cited reason for dropping out of college.
College is expensive, and many students simply cannot afford it. Students often try part-time jobs, sell their belongings, and borrow money from friends and family to pay for their education.
Most students take student loans but other students cannot afford to pay for college by taking loans. Some students have to support their families by doing full-time jobs.
Additionally, there are other expenses like buying books and other accessories for projects that may look small but can easily pile up.
Academic Struggles
There are several reasons why college students may drop out, but one of the most common is academic struggles.
When students are not performing well in their classes, they may feel like they are not cut out for college and decide to leave.
This can be a difficult decision, but it is often made easier when students realize that they will not be able to continue receiving financial aid if they do not maintain a certain GPA.
In some cases, students may even be disqualified from their program if their grades fall below a certain level. 28% of college students drop out because they can’t meet the set academic qualifications or requirements.
For these reasons, students need to seek out help early on if they are struggling academically.
There are many resources available on campus, such as tutoring centers and writing labs, that can help students get back on track.
Lack of Support
Along with finances and grades, college students need self-dedication and determination.
They must nurture their motivation to achieve their goals, and if they struggle with this, they may need to get help from a counselor or a mentor.
This is particularly important for students who are new to college, as they will likely face many challenges that can lead them to drop out.
Most students get support from friends, family, etc. but not all are lucky. 9% of college dropouts are because of a lack of support from family.
So, it is important to make sure that students have a good support system.
Lack of Motivation
College dropouts may lose motivation due to several factors, including financial struggles and low self-esteem.
Students often tend to compare themselves with their friends and others, resulting in discouragement and consequent loss of motivation.
Students are not motivated when they don’t see the value in studying and they disagree with the way their college is run.
Hence they don’t see a purpose in continuing their college and drop out.
Lack of Discipline
Added to a lack of motivation, college students experience freedom that they were not used to, and they don’t know how to handle it.
You can eat, and drink whatever you want, you can sleep whenever you want. Guidance from elders or parents is completely absent on the campus.
Most students get carried away with freedom and forget their goals and eventually give up and drop out of college.
Unexpected Events
Some events are out of your hand and when they hit you, your whole life goes for a toss.
Some life-changing events are family members getting seriously ill, long-duration relationships ending, a good job opportunity, etc.
At these times, it feels like you are the only one suffering from the problem and that there is no way out.
Sometimes you just have to let go of what you can’t change and move on with your life. Such events mostly lead to dropping out of college.